Quick Facts:
Birth Defects

Birth defects are generally referred to as abnormalities of structure, function or metabolism (body chemistry) present at birth that result in physical or mental disabilities, or death.

The majority of states (37 states and Puerto Rico) have a type of birth defects surveillance system. Surveillance data are used to detect birth defects trends, suggest areas for further research, and link people to needed services. States also report data to the National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN), which publishes an annual report. Prevalence estimates reported by NBDPN for select states and birth defects are now available on Peristats.

For states that have data available, a list of birth defects will appear as subtopics in the search menu to the left once the Birth Defects topic has been chosen. You can also select a state summary from the Select a Summary menu at the top left of the screen and click on the Birth Defects link on the state summary page.

Every 4 1/2 minutes a baby is born with a birth defect in the United States.

In 2010, birth defects accounted for about 1 in 5 infant deaths in Oklahoma City.

For more detailed data, click on the topic edit button in search tool on left side, select one of the Subtopics from drop down list under this topic. Here you'll find more graphs, maps, and tables that pertain to this topic.